Protest crowd marches through Saanich chanting ‘homes not hate’

A large crowd of people marched through the Uptown-Douglas corridor around 6 p.m. on Friday night in protest of housing and Saanich’s treatment of the people who were living at the Regina Park tent city.

Saanich Police rushed a fleet of squad cars and officers to the protest, arresting one individual that was carrying a wooden baseball bat.

The rally ended on a vacant piece of provincial land between Carey Road, Highway 17 and Ravine Way in Saanich. People stayed there Friday night in about a dozen tents.

People are prohibited from seeking overnight shelter in these parks. We’re letting people know, who are experiencing homelessness, there are over 100 parks in #saanich where seeking temp shelter is permitted https://t.co/ti8u70jMyt. Overnight sheltering can occur from 7pm-9am pic.twitter.com/BAhqg0MJ9o

The occupants of the smaller tent city now at Carey Road is unsure how long they’ll stay or where they can go, but does not wish to pack their belongings up each morning. By staying on the provincial piece of land, the belief is they’ll not be subject to Saanich’s new overnight sheltering bylaw that permits refuge in more than 100 parks between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m., but does not permit daytime sheltering.

A crowd marches through Saanich Friday night in protest for housing and for better supports after 100 people were displaced by the District of Saanich and Saanich Police when they closed Camp Namegans tent city at Regina Park. Alliance Against Displacement/Twitter